Out of the Mouths of Babes: With the Help of Thy Grace

This story is one of a series of stories that begin with the title “Out of the Mouths of Babes.” These stories celebrate the Wisdom of God that can be ours when we listen to and reflect on the words that lead to worship and thanksgiving, words spoken by children. For, as Psalm 8:2-3 tells us, “O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! I will sing of your majesty above the heavens with the mouths of babes and infants...^”

Years ago, when our eight-year old son was preparing for his first reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the director of CCD was a neighborhood woman named Mrs. Grace Lewis (actual first name).

As part of the Sacramental program, we parents were required to participate in our children’s Reconciliation preparation. At one of the last special meetings, the director led the children in a heartwarming choral recitation of the (traditional) “Act of Contrition”:

“O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the director gave us parents the homework to help our children memorize the “Act.” Taking it a step further, not wanting the children to recite the words in mere rote recitation, she suggested that we ask our children, phrase by phrase, what they understood the words to mean.

Having been a catechist, I was feeling confident that I could help our son better understand what all the words meant….perhaps with one exception. Admittedly, there was just one word that had me stumped. How could I explain “grace” in a way my son would understand?

I didn’t have to worry.

When we got to the word grace in the line "I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin,” I asked my son what he understood by "Thy grace..."

Without stopping to ponder or without missing a beat, my son readily replied with great conviction and assurance, “Oh, that’s easy. That means with the help of Mrs. Lewis.”

“with the help of Mrs. [Grace] Lewis.”

Too speechless to even try to define “grace” as the catechism would, I applauded him for realizing how much Mrs. Lewis was responsible for helping him live the entire Act of Contrition.

“with the help of Thy Grace”: literally, God’s Grace was Mrs. Grace Lewis for him!

How Providential that the catechist’s first name was Grace! And yet, although parents, godparents, grandparents, older siblings, and other catechists are not always named Grace, still, there are truths that my son’s response reminded and emphasized for me—whatever our first names might be:

• “Thy [Grace]”—we belong to God; He calls us by name.

“…I have called you by name: you are mine…” (Isaiah 43:1)

• “with the help of Thy [Grace]”: We need to help each other avoid sin; we need to take care not to be near occasions of sin, for children especially (Cf. Matthew 18:6); but, inasmuch as we all are children of God’s, we need to take care not be a stumbling block to someone else’s goodness.

• “with the help of Thy [Grace]”: We are instruments of His grace; all of us have the responsibility to be near occasions of grace (as a priest once remarked)...it’s not enough to avoid being someone’s near occasion of sin.

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1Peter 4:10)

"I firmly resolve with the help of Thy Grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin."

With the help of Thy [Grace]....Please fill in someone else’s name…

With the help of Thy [Grace]....Please fill in your own name...

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, who is a reflection and channel of His Merciful “Grace” in your life? For whom are you a reflection and channel of His Merciful “Grace”?

Praise God for His Merciful Grace shown through you and through them!

“with the help of Thy Grace”…And praise God for the eight-year old who taught me so much—even if he was my own literal-minded son!